Following Maduro's Capture

The U.S. special forces' recent capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro following years of documented misconduct. Maduro has long been accused of facilitating narcotics trafficking, deepening cooperation with China’s People’s Liberation Army, and seizing American-owned assets without compensation. 

Reports of repeated failures by Mexico to meet cross-border obligations and unpaid claims tied to the Al Zour refinery project in Kuwait are just some of the examples, but this problem extends far and wide. The national security and State Department appropriations report directs the Office of the Secretary of State to “to utilize the various tools of diplomatic engagement to work with such governments to facilitate the timely resolution of such disputes.” Now, it falls to the full Congress to follow through and pass the measure.

At some point, accountability has to matter. 

Americans are generous people. We give more, volunteer more, and shoulder more global responsibility than any nation on earth. That generosity has long been one of our greatest strengths, both at home and abroad.

Undermining U.S. firms through nonpayment or expropriation harms the American economy, weakens confidence in lawful commerce, and discourages the kind of private investment that development policy is supposed to encourage. 

That is dangerous.

This is not an argument against American leadership abroad or U.S. assistance to allies. I support both. Most of our treaty partners understand that shared responsibility and good faith are essential to lasting cooperation. The worry expressed by Congress in its appropriations report is about a different set of relationships, with which countries outside our core alliances systematically enjoy the U.S’ support yet routinely fail to meet their financial commitments. 

That is precisely why, in its appropriations report, Congress is spot-on in giving the State Department the authorization and tools it needs to seek quick, just resolutions of these disputes through all the diplomatic means at its disposal. It is making it clear that the promises made to the U.S. are not optional and that accountability is not negotiable. Engagement abroad must rest on fairness, discipline, and respect. These values that matter just as much in international affairs as they do in everyday life.

America should continue to lead, to help, and to stand with those who share our values. But real leadership also means refusing to excuse broken promises.

Generosity guided by accountability is not weakness. It is how strong nations endure. Congress deserves credit for putting this principle back at the center of U.S. foreign engagement, and the full legislature should follow the committee’s — and the Department of Defense’s — lead by moving quickly to approve the appropriations report and make that commitment real.

Steve Diminuco is a foreign policy analyst. He is a former Deputy Director for Global Intergovernmental Affairs and Senior Conferences Coordinator at the U.S. Department of State.